Paradox
by celticwarrior23
Summary: Paisley finds herself dumped in an alley in San Francisco with no memories. Soon, she finds a friend in a whitelighter. He takes her to the Halliwells. Now Paisley must find out about her past, but she soon finds that her past is not what she expected.


Paradox

"Ugh...my head." Paisley sat up slowly, clutching her throbbing head. As her vision cleared, she took in her surroundings. She was in a dingy alley between two brick buildings. Cars passed by on the road, and people walked hurriedly down the sidewalks. The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky. _Where am I?_

Startlingly, Paisley realized that she had no idea where she was or who she was. Only a name remained in her mind, Paisley. _Is that my name? _She shook her head, unsure of what had happened to her or where she came from. _Why am I here? Why can't I remember anything? Where is here exactly?_

Slowly, she got to her feet. Still holding her head, she walked out of the alley and onto the sidewalk. Looking around, she looked for a sign or anything else that would tell her where she was.

"Hah!" Her eyes rested on a small bookstore, San Fran Books. San Francisco! She smiled triumphantly. _Now what?_

"Gotta find a way to get my memory back." Paisley turned toward the street, flagging down a taxi. The small, yellow cab pulled up along the curb and stopped in front of her. She climbed into the back seat.

"Where ya going?" The driver asked over his shoulder. Paisley hadn't really thought that far yet. She looked down. Her clothes were ripped and grimy.

"Know any good clothes stores?"

Paisley walked out of American Apparel wearing her new clothes. Now, she wore a gray and white Jersey short sleeve tee, denim shorts, and black flip flops that she had bought with the money that she had pickpocketed from a man on the street. A summer breeze swept through her long, dark brown hair, making her sigh with content.

She turned, walking down the street. Unsure of where to go and what to do, she walked until nighttime.

Neon signs filled the night with a soft light. Paisley saw one that caught her attention, P3. The night club had a line out the door that wrapped around the sidewalk. She wandered if she was old enough to go in there. She looked at her reflection in a nearby window. She looked mature enough, but could she pass as an adult?

She walked up to the bouncer confidently after waiting in line for an hour. He put his long, muscular arm out, barring her way in.

"I.D." He grunted. Paisley bit her lip, trying to figure out what to do next.

"I left it at home." She grinned at him. He laughed.

"I don't think so." He pushed her away gently and let the man behind Paisley in. Angered, Paisley stomped off down the sidewalk beside P3.

"I just wanna get in there and have some fun." She grumbled. Suddenly, the world began to shift around her. She stumbled, dizzily and found herself suddenly inside of the club.

"What the hell?" She looked around, warily. Unsure of what to think, she walked to the bar. A woman with long, dark brown hair was the bartender. She wore a long-sleeve leather jacket over a green t-shirt. Buisily, she ran around to the customers, pouring them a drink and making conversation. Paisley sat down at the bar next to a man of about twenty. The bartender walked over, carrying a glass.

"Hi, David. You haven't been here in a while!" She chimed. The man next to Paisley, whom she presumed was David, nodded and smiled, revealing a set of pearly-white teeth.

"Nice to see you, Piper. I've been...busy. How's Leo?" He smiled warmly, his sultry Irish accent making Paisley melt.

"He's fine. In fact, he was wanting to know if you wanted any more lessons." Piper said,setting a glass on the counter. "The usual?" David nodded, and Piper poured him a glass.

"And you?" Piper inquired, glancing up from the glass to Paisley.

"Oh...um...I'll have what he's having." Paisley pointed to David, not knowing much about alcohol. Piper looked at her, confused.

"You want wh-?," She paused, staring at Paisley. "Have we met before? I don't think I've seen you in here before."

"No...At least, I don't think we have..." Paisley wondered if she knew this woman.

Piper shrugged it off and poured Paisley a glass. Then, she walked over to another customer.

"Better go easy on that, girl." David elbowed Paisley playfully. She looked up at him, smiling. He was tall, about six feet, with short, wavy brown hair and shimmering, green eyes.

"Heh...D-g-uh-" Paisley found herself speechless. He grinned, running his hand through his thick hair.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" He chuckled. _His laugh. Even his laugh is perfect._

"Um...," Paisley swallowed, trying to regain her composure. "Don't worry. I don't drink much."

"Morning, beautiful." Paisley awoke to the sound of David's voice as he brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"Wha-?" She rolled over, finding him propped up on his pillow by his elbow.

"What happened to 'I don't drink much'?" David laughed.

"Um?"

"You got drunk, sang your best version of 'I Believe I Can Fly', and got into a fight that got both of us kicked out." David grinned, playfully.

"And let me guess, I came home with you and you took advantage of my drunken stupor." Paisley growled through clenched teeth, feeling violated.

"No! I didn't! We didn't!" He held his hands up in defense.

Paisley eyed him suspiciously.

"I mean, I can't say I didn't want to, but I respect you more than that."

"Okay. Then why am I in bed with you, David?" She roared in anger.

"What'd you want me to do? Put you in the floor?" Paisley leaned up and looked around. Sure enough, the place was a one bedroom apartment with no living room or dining room. There was nowhere for him to lay her.

"Oh..."

"I would never take advantage of you, Paisley." David said.

"How do you know my name? I didn't tell you."

"Yeah. You told me not only that, but also something about not having any memories." He gave her a pitying look.

"So? What do you care?" She snapped at him.

"Whoa, girl! I just want to help you." He squeezed her arm reassuringly.

"Why would you want to help me?"

"Let's just say, it's in my nature." He smiled warmly, obviously hiding something.

"Oooookaaaay? How can you help me?" She eyed him.

"Well, we have a name...But other than that we have nothing to go on, and I guarantee you aren't the only Paisley in the state of California." He laughed. "So...I have no idea how to help you."

"What about the police?" Paisley spoke.

"I dunno if they will be able to help since there is nothing but a name to go by, but it's worth a shot." He got out of bed and walked over to the dresser. "Here," He threw Paisley a pair of his sweats and a t shirt "Put those on since yours are dirty." He winked at her and left the room so she could change.

"Soooo, you have no idea what your last name is?" Asked Inspector Darryl Morris as he propped back in his desk chair.

"Nope. Can't you do, like, finger prints or something?" Paisley begged. Darryl glanced up as if pondering this.

"I suppose." He chuckled and took Paisley into a back room with David following close behind. Darryl stalked over to a small desk and pulled out a paper for prints.

After taking her prints, he sent them to the lab to be analyzed in hopes of finding a match.

"Maybe you should go home and rest. It'll be sometime tomorrow before they're finished." Darryl patted Paisley's shoulder, reassuringly before ushering both her and David out of the police station.

"So, I'll bring you back here tomorrow-," David closed the car door behind Paisley and walked around, getting in the driver's seat "-and you can finally figure out who the heck you are." He turned, smiling warmly at her.

"Get up, sleeping beauty." Paisley awoke to the sound of David's voice and the smack of a pillow against her head.

"That's a good way to get yourself hurt, Davey." Paisley mumbled into her pillow.

"Davey? Ick! Anything but Davey! Heck, you can call me the Pillsbury Dough Boy, but NOT Davey." He sounded irritated.

"Why not?" Paisley sit up, sleepily. David stood with his arms folded across his chest, looking upset.

"Because that's what my dad called me," He looked away as if remembering something "Just...DON'T call me that." He whirled around on his heels and stalked off.

"What's eating him?" Paisley murmured, but shrugged it off as she leapt from the bed to get dressed in her now clean clothes that David had washed last night.

While Paisley was wriggling into her shirt, the bedroom door opened.

"Ah!" Paisley threw her hands up to cover herself.

"Err..." David stood there, glancing from Paisley to the ceiling. She pulled her shirt the rest of the way on and looked up to where David was staring at. There on the ceiling was a six-inch wide, burning hole.

"Wha-? How? What is that?" Paisley gasped, awestruck. Returning her gaze back to David, she noticed his horrified expression.

"You're-No. You're a-" David stammered.

"How did I do that?" Paisley felt tears stinging her eyes now and she blinked them away quickly. _You will NOT cry!_

"Has anything like that happened to you before that you can remember?" David stepped closer to her, still looking shocked.

"No," Paisley stopped, remembering her sudden appearance in the club. "Well, yes. I kinda...I dunno reappeared in the club last night." She stared down at her feet, embarrassed.

"Shimmering." David held a steady gaze on her.

"Shimmering? What do you mean?"

"You're...special, Paisley. You aren't human." He said it as if he were telling her that the sun is shining or that it is Spring.

"Not...human?" Tears returned to her eyes, threatening to fall. David placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her close to him, embracing her.

"I'll explain more later, okay? We have to go to the police station now." He wiped away a tear from her eyes.

The car ride to the station seemed to drag on for eternity as they rode in silence. Every few minutes, David would turn to look at Paisley, unsure of what he felt for her now.

When they arrived, David opened Paisley's door for her and helped her out of the car. Then, the two of them walked into the police station, still silent.

"Ah...Ms. Paisley," Darryl shook her hand and turned to David "Mr.-I don't believe you've said your name."

"David Sanders, sir." He said, shaking Darryl's hand. Darryl motioned for the two to follow him and he led them to his office. Sitting down at his desk, he sighed heavily.

"Nothing. We found absolutely nothing about you, Ms. Paisley. It's as if-as if you just fell right out of the sky!" He sighed once more. Paisley and David exchanged glances. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing more I can do for you." Darryl gave an apologetic grin.

Afterward, David and Paisley walked back to the car. Rain had begun to pour down, setting the mood for Paisley's broken heart. She stopped abruptly as she came to the car.

"Dammit! I just want answers! I want to know who I am!" Paisley lifted her head, bellowing out toward the sky. David stood back, getting soaked by the rain.

"Maybe I can help you find answers. The police may not be able to help, but I know these people that may can help." David offered, keeping his distance. Paisley jerked her head around toward him, her eyes red with anger and pain.

"Anything. Please..." Tears flowed from her eyes now, melding with the raindrops that ran along her skin. He grinned at her, pity rolling off of him in waves.

"Come on." He ushered her into the car.

"David, this isn't a good time..." Piper anwered the door, looking stressed. A moment later, a man with dirty blonde hair walked up behind the woman.

"David! Come in!" The lady glared at the man, but opened the door to let them in.

"It's so good to see you again. Paisley this is Piper and Leo," He gestured to them "Guys, this is Paisley. She has a bit of a problem. A _magical_ problem." David eyed them.

"Ah...Okay. Come in here, Paisley, and we'll talk about this." Piper said, leading her to the living room, showing her to the couch.

"So, what's wrong?" She asked when they sat down. David explained last night's events and Paisley chimed in to correct the details he got wrong. When David mentioned Paisley's shimmering and fire throwing, Leo and Piper exchanged nervous glances.

When they were finished talking, Piper nodded slowly. Then, she stood and walked out of the room.

"David...This...you can't help her." Leo tried to whisper into David's ear.

"Why not? What's wrong with me?" Paisley inquired. Leo looked up, surprised that she had heard what he'd said.

"You're a-" Leo began.

"Demon." Piper walked back in, her nose stuck in a big book.

"I'm a what?" Paisley leapt from her seat on the couch.

"Easy. Piper?" Leo calmed her.

"I'm not sure exactly what kind you are, but-" Piper paused, reading from the book "-it just doesn't seem right. How come you didn't know? Why are your memories gone?"

"Hello! That's what I came here for, guys!" Paisley yelled in frustration "Ugh!" David walked up, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"What can we do then?" David asked, looking from Piper to Leo. Piper shrugged.

"I'm not sure, but we'll see what we can do after a little more research." she turned to Leo "Go ask the elders about it or something."

"You could say please..." Leo murmured, orbing out.

"Whoa! Did you see that? How did he-?" Paisley pointed to where Leo once stood. Piper eyed David suspiciously.

"She doesn't know?" She inquired, glancing at Paisley.

"Know what?" Paisley turned to David. He shifted, uneasily, from foot-to-foot.

"Leo's a whitelighter...And-" He began.

"Whassat?" Paisley cocked her head to the side. David grinned, amused.

"It's like...a...guardian angel." He tugged at his shirt collar, nervously.

"David. Tell her." Piper demanded. Paisley looked up at the man before her, studying him intensely. His green eyes seemed to shield some sort of untold story, making Paisley want to know more about him.

"I'm a whitelighter, too." He looked away as if it were a bad thing.

"But...you're a guardian angel right? That's good last I checked." Paisley smiled reassuringly up at him. Without warning, David turned his back, walking off.

"What's wrong?" Paisley turned to Piper. A sad look crossed her face.

"You have to die before you become a whitelighter, Paisley." Paisley was awestruck. Turning, she stared in the direction that David had gone, wondering how someone so young and kind could have died.

"H-How did he die?" She turned back to Piper.

"That's a question you should ask him yourself." Piper walked over, patting her on the back as she walked off as well.

Paisley cautiously pushed open the back door to the Halliwell's home. David sat on the grass outside, looking up at the stars, twinkling in the sky.

"Mind if I join you?" Paisley walked up to him. He turned to face her. Without a word, he motioned for her to sit next to him. She obliged and plopped down beside him.

For a long while, neither of them spoke. They just continued staring up at the dazzling night sky. Finally, David spoke.

"I died, Paisley." Was all he said, tears welling up in his eyes.

"What happened?" Paisley turned to look at him. Sighing, he turned to her, his green eyes shining in the starlight.

"My father." He turned away, wiping away a tear before turning back to her "He was a drunkard, always getting into fights...He beat me when I was little. Just because he was mad at the world, I became his punching bag. Something to take his anger out on. One day when I was nineteen, I came home from work and found him in a drunken stupor...H-He had raped and killed my mother..." He swallowed hard, looking away for a moment.

"...I saw her lifeless body laying on the floor. I was so angry, I just-I-I attacked him. Little did I know, he had a gun on his person...I was on top of him, punching him in the face as hard as I could when he suddenly pulled out the gun...and he-and-and he shot me." David pointed to his heart, showing where he'd been shot.

"I'm so sorry, David." She squeezed his shoulder, reassuringly. He turned, smiling at her, a tear running down his cheek.

"Then they made me a whitelighter." He pointed toward the sky "And Leo trained me. That's how I know them."

"Wow...I had no idea. I wish I had known-" CRASH! Paisley and David jerked their heads around to gaze toward the noise. "What was that?"

"No telling..." He motioned for her to follow him as he ran into the house. Piper was laying on the floor, rubbing her head and cursing, Leo was currently crouching over her protectively, and two other women stood on either side of the room. Paisley looked down at the floor in front of Piper. The floor was singed with bits of clothing scattered about.

"What happened?" David asked, glancing around warily.

"Um...David, who's-?" One of the ladies with brown hair asked, pointing to Paisley.

"This is Paisley. She's a friend and she knows about all..." David looked at the scorched kitchen floor "...of this."

"Oookay. Well, it was a low level demon. No biggie." The other lady, whom had red hair replied.

"So, is this normal around here?" Paisley felt a twinge of uneasiness wash over her. If they had done that to the other demon, what would they do to her? She found herself backing away, instinct telling her to run or fight. Suddenly, she became hyper-aware of her surroundings. The natural scents of the women was slightly muffled by their perfumes, while she found an odd scent radiating from Leo, making her stomach tighten in knots. David's scent carried the same odd sensation as with Leo's, but in it was a slightly different, softer scent that she couldn't decipher. The once dimly lit kitchen lights became burning orbs of bright light, making her retinas feel as if they were on fire. Squinting, she looked around at everyone. Every blemish in the skin, every pore, and every strand of hair became crystal-clear as if she were looking at it through a microscope. Rubbing her eyes, she backed away, the sudden awareness flooding her senses.

"What's wrong?" David reached for her arm, but she stepped away, his voice piercing her eardrums.

"No...Don't."

"Paisley...What's wrong?" He reached for her again, but this time, she pushed him away aggressively.

"Get away!" She screeched,running off through the back door.

Crying, Paisley sat down in front of an old tombstone in the cemetery she had shimmered to after running from the Halliwell house. Her senses were still heightened, causing her pain. _All I want is to understand! _ She plowed her fist into the ground, angrily.

"Just give me a freakin' sign!" She roared to the sky.

"Paisley!" She peeked around the tombstone to see the entire group scanning the graveyard for her. As they drew nearer, the pain in her head grew. She clawed at it, wanting the pain to withdraw. _Gotta get away._

She shimmered into the mausoleum that was a few yards away. Sighing with relief as her pain subsided, she sank down onto the dusty floor. Grimacing, she heard their voices grow louder as they neared the mausoleum. They pulled on the doors, but they wouldn't open. She heard Piper say something and Leo reply. Orbing in, he appeared in front of Paisley.

The pain escalated once more, leaving her panting.

"Get away!" She growled through clenched teeth. Leo took a step forward and crouched down in front of her.

"No. We want to help you, but first you have to explain what's happening." He soothed.

"That's the f***ing problem! I don't know what's happening! Just leave!" She screamed.

"Paisley..." Leo reached out to touch her arm and the second he touched her skin, an uncontrollable rage consumed her.

"RAAAAAGH!" She leapt at him, her vision reddening. The rest was a blur except for the surprised yell from Leo and the sound of the doors being blown open to the mausoleum and footsteps echoing down the stairs at the entrance.

"LEO! Get away from him, Paisley!" Piper's voice rang out.

"Quick! Vanquish!" Came the red head's voice.

"No!" David's voice drowned out the others. She heard him shuffle around as she paused from the attack to listen. Feeling Leo struggle underneath her, she forced all of her weight on top of him.

"I can't orb!" He shouted out, confusedly.

"Paisley! Paisley, snap out of it! Remember who you are!" David yelled to her. Then, a tall, dark-haired man stepped forward from behind Phoebe. A ball of crackling energy appeared in his outstretched hand. He threw it at her forcefully. She had no time to react. It crashed into her left side, propelling her backward to be slammed into the concrete wall. Paisley bounced off of the wall, smacking the floor. Her vision cleared long enough for her to take in the extent of the damage she had done. Leo was on the floor, bleeding from gashes in his sides and arms, Piper, David, and Paige crouched over him. Phoebe and the man glanced from eachother to Paisley and then to Leo in unison. Then, her vision blurred and the edges of her vision blackened. Within a moment, she was unconcious.

While unconcious, Paisley dreamed vividly. To begin with, she was a small child, looking up from her crib at two smiling faces. Light blocked out their features so that they were unrecognizable. They were talking, but their voices were muffled to her. Then, she was sitting on the floor, still a child, playing with her toys. A tall, muscular man with short, cropped hair sat cross-legged in front of her. She looked at him curiously. A sinister grin played on his lips. He spoke, but his words seemed to be muffled as the others' were before. Laughing, he picked her up, but she squirmed and cried as she tried to break free of his iron grasp. Footsteps echoed in the hallway, and the man shimmered the both of them out before the others made it to the room.

"Cole, I'm just saying...It's possible."

"No, Phoebe. I know you want to be right about this. So do I, but you know she's dead. You know it."

"Ugh...Not so loud, guys." Paisley murmured, rubbing her head. Suddenly, the memories of last night came to her, and she began to feel uncomfortable. Phoebe stood in front of the man named Cole. The two of them stared at her for a moment before replying.

"Oh...You're awake." Phoebe said quietly, glancing at Cole.

"Duh, I'm awake. What happened last night? Or do I even want to know?"

"You somehow negated Leo's powers. You could've killed the guy...again." Cole glared at her, untrusting.

"Oh. Well, that's great. Nice to know that I'm some sort of psychopathic, demonic killing machine." Paisley rolled her eyes. Cole laughed and Phoebe elbowed him.

"You are not a killing machine. I mean, before yesterday, you didn't even know what you were." Phoebe comforted.

"Not so sure I wanna know now..." Paisley mumbled. She sighed, then climbed out of the bed she was in. "Guess I'll be leaving now." She walked out of the room and downstairs, Phoebe and Cole on her heels. Piper and David sat in the living room. Upon seeing Paisley, Piper leapt to her feet.

"You! You almost KILLED my HUSBAND! What the hell is wrong with you? You just randomly go off and turn into this big,red and furry thing and attack everyone in sight!-" Piper pointed at Paisley threateningly.

"Big, red FURRY thing?" Paisley whispered to Phoebe and Cole.

"Your demon form." Cole whispered back, grinning.

"Oh."

"-Will choke you until you die!" Piper finished her rant. Paisley and David exchanged glances. David chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. Piper spun around to him. "This is NOT funny, David!"

"Sorry, Mrs. Halliwell." David suddenly became very interested in his feet.

"I wanted to help you, but you leave me no choice. Get OUT!" Piper yelled, red-faced.

"But I-I didn't mean to. I just wanna know who I am! Please-" Paisley pleaded.

"Piper." Phoebe said. Piper glared at her for a moment, but her gaze softened quickly.

"Fine. FINE! You can stay, but if you do one more thing, no matter how small, you are out of here." Piper spun on her heels and stalked off into the kitchen.

"Well...that went well." Paisley grinned. Phoebe laughed and placed her hand on Paisley's shoulder.

"She'll come around. She's just hurt right now." She said, then, turning to Cole, she added. "Maybe you can help her control herself."

"Um-" He began to object.

"Cole. She needs help and you're the only demon around here." Phoebe stated, walking away.

"HALF. Half-demon." Cole called after her. Then, he turned to Paisley.

"YOU'RE a-?" She asked, shocked.

"Yeah...Come on." He pulled her toward the kitchen.

"I'm not going in there! That woman hates me!" Paisley pulled away from him. He rolled his eyes.

"We are going down to the basement to train. The only way down there is through the kitchen." He said, annoyed. They walked into the kitchen where Piper was angrily slicing through some celery.

"Cole, make sure that-" she began.

"I know." He interrupted her. He opened the basement door to let Paisley in. Immediately, Paisley saw the training equipment in the room. In the corner was a punching bag, an exercise bike on the far wall, and some weights on the opposite wall.

"Ready?" Cole's voice broke through her concentration.

"Huh?"

"To train. Are you ready?" He had taken off his shirt and laid it on the stairs. Now he held a twenty pound weight in his hand.

"How is lifting weights associated with me controlling my powers?" Paisley asked.

"You tell me." Then, he threw the weight as hard as he could at her.

"Ah!" She closed her eyes,shimmering away from it. When she opened them, she found herself standing a few feet behind Cole. Turning, he faced her.

"See?"

"Uh. Yeah." After he tossed a few more weights at her for her to shimmer away, he put away the weights that were scattered across the room.

"We're through?" Paisley wiped away sweat from her brow.

"Not even close." He replied, putting away the last weight.

Then, he came toward her slowly.

"How's your hand-to-hand combat skills?" He asked, coming closer.

"Uh-Um..." When he was close enough, he threw a powerful right hook at her. She dodged it and backed up.

"Fighting is what brings out that inner rage. What makes you lose control." Cole said, throwing another punch. Paisley dodged it and threw a roundhouse kick at his stomach. Dodging it, he countered. This time, he caught her by surprise and kicked her in the chest. Flying backward, she smacked the exercise bike. Just as before, she felt her senses heighten. Cole must have noticed the change in her, because he ran over quickly.

"No. Keep yourself under control." Paisley's vision started to redden, but just as she tried to stand, Cole pinned her down. "Stop. Listen to my voice, okay? Control it. You can do it. Just try." Paisley fought to escape his grasp, but she eventually regained control. Her senses remained heightened, but she had control.

"Good. Let's see how you do now." Cole said, helping her up. Once more, he threw a punch at her, but this time she dodged with lightning fast reflexes and leapt at him. Not having time to react, Cole fell back as she hit him. Now, she had him pinned. He laughed, clapping as Paisley climbed off of him.

"Round one goes to you, I guess." He laughed again. The sound of his laugh stopped Paisley in her tracks. She stopped to listen to him. His laugh was so familiar, so much like her own. Somehow, she knew him. She had to. Everything about him and the others seemed familiar. How come they didn't feel the same? Or did they? Perhaps they felt the same way, but didn't want to know her. Then, why would they help her in the first place?

"Hello? Anyone there?" Cole's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Huh?" He grinned, shaking his head.

"I said, 'We're through for today'." He went over to get his shirt, patting her shoulder as he walked past. "You coming?" He turned back to her as he walked up the stairs.

"I think I'll stay down here for a little while."

"Okay." He shrugged and left. Paisley sat down on the bottom step. So many thoughts flooded her brain.

"What if Phoebe's right? What if I am there's? No. Can't be. They said their daughter died." Paisley rambled to herself. David orbed in.

"What's shakin' bacon?" He laughed.

"You're an idiot. You know that?" Paisley shook her head, grinning. He walked over and sat beside her.

"Guess I'll have to deal with that." He elbowed her playfully. "I have a surprise for you." He waited for her response.

"What is it?"

"I was just assigned as your whitelighter." He smiled at her.

"What?"

"Yeah. Apparently, your part witch. They said that you need a whitelighter. And, well, I can't lie. I kinda volunteered." He shrugged, laughing.

"Part witch?"

"Yeah. Part witch, part demon, apparently."

"Oh my God." She stood, shocked. "Oh my God."

"What? What's wrong? Do you-Do you not want me as your whitelighter?" He sounded hurt.

"No, that's not it."

"Then, what is it?"

"I think Phoebe and Cole are my parents." Paisley turned to face David. His eyes widened.

"Well, are you sure?"

"Not really. I just...It feels right." He stood up, hugging her.

"I guess it's a start..." He said. Paisley looked up at him, his green eyes shining. Then, she kissed him. He seemed surprised at first, but quickly accepted it.

"Oh! Hi." Paige's voice came from the top of the staircase. David and Paisley turned around to find Paige covering her eyes and grinning. "Dinner's ready." She turned around and left quickly.

"Twenty bucks says she tells everyone before we even get up the stairs." Paisley turned to David.

"I would take that bet, but I'm not allowed to gamble." David laughed, and the two of them walked up the staircase and into the kitchen.

They walked into the dining room. Everyone sat at the table, looking up at them as they entered. Piper glared at Paisley, Paige whispered something to Leo, Phoebe grinned at Cole, and two teenage boys winked at David and Paisley, giving him a thumbs up.

"What'd I tell you?" Paisley whispered to David as they sat down. Paisley sat between David and Paige, and he sat between her and Phoebe.

"Oh. Paisley, these are our sons, Chris and Wyatt." Leo said, pointing at the boys as he said their names. Chris was younger, with shorter, dark hair. Wyatt was older, with wavy, dirty blonde hair like his father.

"Hi." Paisley greeted them.

"Hey..." Chris responded, then paused for a moment "So, is the whole demon/whitelighter couple thing allowed?" He grinned. Wyatt punched his shoulder, begging him to be quiet.

"We aren't a couple, boy." Paisley growled.

"I'm her whitelighter. It would just be weird if we were together." David said, getting glares from Piper and Leo. "Oh...sorry guys..." He blushed.

"Can we just drop it? Let's just eat." Paisley grunted, dumping a spoonful of pasta onto her plate from a bowl in the center of the table.

After dinner, Phoebe showed Paisley to the couch where they had laid blankets and pillows for her.

"Sorry if it's not that comfortable. Noone ever sleeps there...except for Leo and Cole whenever one of them is being bad." She laughed, fluffing a pillow.

"Thanks...For everything. I appreciate it."

"Aw, don't worry about it. I'm glad you're here, and so is Cole(even though he'd never tell you that)." She added, stopping afterward to gaze at Paisley, lovingly. After a moment, Paisley felt uncomfortable, and turned away.

"Well, tell him that I'm thankful for his help." Paisley added, not turning to look at Phoebe. Hearing sobs behind her, she turned to face her. She had her head in her hands, crying. Paisley glanced around, confused.

"Um...what's wrong?" Phoebe choked back a sob, and looked up at Paisley.

"It's just...It feels right, having you here like this. We lost a daughter years ago...she'd be about your age. It feels like we never lost her now that you're here. I was...hoping that maybe..." She stopped, sobbing again. Paisley wrapped her in a hug, pulling her close. Then, Cole came downstairs, looking puzzled when he saw her crying. He mouthed, "What's going on?" Paisley shrugged, and hugged Phoebe tighter. Cole came forward and pulled Phoebe away, embracing her. He whispered something in her ear, and she nodded, then walked upstairs.

He turned to Paisley. For a moment, he just stared at her as Phoebe had, then he turned away, following Phoebe upstairs. He called, "Goodnight." over his shoulder and disappeared into the upstairs hallway.

Paisley felt a longing to run up after them and hug the both of them, but her pride held her back. She shrugged it off and laid down on the couch, pulling a blanket over her head.

"Shh! You'll wake her up, Wyatt!"

"We shouldn't do this. She just got here and she has so much to deal with and-"

"Oh, shut up. Now, get ready to run."

Paisley felt a feather tickle her nose. Instinctively, she reached to scratch it. When she did, her face was covered in shaving cream. She opened her eyes, glaring at Chris and Wyatt as they stood, unsure of what to do next.

"I'm gonna kill you!" She shouted at them angrily. They shared a nervous glance before sprinting off. Paisley was behind them the entire chase. They ran through the dining room where Paige was reading. Then, they went into the kitchen where Piper and Leo were chatting while Piper cooked breakfast. Piper yelled, "No running in the house!" to them, but they continued on around the kitchen. Chris and Wyatt stopped on one side of the kitchen island while Paisley stopped on the other side. The boys were panting, whereas she was breathing calmly. She faked right, then left, but the boys ran past her, calling her bluff.

"Come here!" She screamed at them, feeling her anger rise. Suddenly, she remembered what Cole had said about control and she inhaled deeply, releasing her tension. She continued to chase them down the upstairs hallway and into the attic. Cole and Phoebe stood inside, Phoebe reading through the Book of Shadows while Cole leaned against a table in the corner, watching her. SLAM! Chris threw open the attic door, Wyatt on his heels.

"Help! She's crazy!" Chris exclaimed, running to hide behind Phoebe. Wyatt was slower and Paisley caught him as he tried to cross the room to the others.

"RAAAGH!" She grabbed his shirt collar, jerking him backward and onto the floor. His eyes widened in fear, and she felt her senses heightening once again. Out of the corner of her eye, Paisley saw Phoebe inch forward, only to be pulled back by Cole. 'Fighting is what brings out that inner rage. What makes you lose control.' Cole's voice echoed in her head. Suddenly, her breathing slowed and her senses returned to normal. "Hmph." She let go of Wyatt's collar forcefully. He scooted away, terrified.

"You are crazy, woman!" Chris' voice echoed in the attic. Paisley jerked her head toward him.

"Say that again, boy, and I'll snap your puny little neck." She growled through clenched teeth.

"Ooookay. Chris, be nice. Wyatt, go calm down. Paisley,...I want to talk to you alone...just me, you, and Cole." She glanced over at Chris, who was fuming. He brushed past Paisley cautiously, glaring at her as he passed.

When he and Wyatt had left the room, Phoebe motioned for her to sit down on the floor. She, then, sat across from Paisley, and she ushered Cole to sit beside Paisley. Paisley quickly noticed that they were sitting in a triangle.

"I think that I've found out how to get your memory back." Phoebe said triumphantly.

"You mean, you're not gonna scold me about that little...er...incident?" Paisley glanced around.

"No. Later, yes, but as for right now, I want to help you find who you are." She replied.

"Okay, I'm curious as to how you _think_ you can help me."

"Why are you so pessimistic?" Phoebe crossed her arms. Paisley rolled her eyes. "Anyway, it's a spell that allows two to four people to see inside eachother's minds, to let them see everything that lies there."

"How is that gonna help? If I can't remember it, then you won't be able to find it in my head...right?"

"No, your memories are there, but I guess they're suppressed or something."

"So, let me get this straight. You guys will know everything about me, I'll know everything about you two, and you guys are okay with this?" Phoebe and Cole nodded.

"We trust you, but the question is...Do you trust us?" Cole added. Paisley pondered this for a moment. Did she? Something inside of her told her that she'd been taught to trust noone, and that she should run away now while she still could. She sighed, then nodded. Phoebe said that they must hold hands and close their eyes. After doing so, Phoebe said a spell. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but suddenly, Paisley was bombarded with images and memories that she was receiving from them. She learned about Phoebe losing her mother, finding out she was a witch, meeting Cole, learning he was a demon, and...having a child. That vision stayed in her sight as she focused on it. In the memory, Phoebe was looking down at her newborn daughter, who squirmed and cried in her crib. The child was a girl with curly, dark brown hair. Suddenly, the memory went away and another took its place. The child was a few months old, playing in the floor while Phoebe vaccumed the hallway. Phoebe moved down the hallway with the vaccum when she heard a cry. She hurriedly returned to her room where her daughter had been playing only to find it empty. Falling to her knees, she burst into tears. Cole shimmered into the room, hearing her cries. "What's wrong, Phoebe?" She pointed to where their daughter had been playing. Now only a singed spot on the carpet and a piece of torn clothing, obviously from her, remained. "I'll find her. Scry for her, okay?" Cole said, hugging Phoebe. Then, he shimmered away in search of their baby girl.

Then, the scene shifted, giving way to Cole's memories. Paisley witnessed his father's murder at the hands of his mother, his training in the underworld, being sent to kill Phoebe and her sisters, and falling in love with her instead. Then, she saw his view of the memory of their daughter. Paisley felt his anguish at the loss and his longing for his daughter. Vanishing, the scene was replaced by large, concrete barriers. The inside of Paisley's mind. Astonished, she realized that these barriers must have been placed there by someone with great power, and she shivered at the thought of how they'd gotten there. Now, Phoebe and Cole stood beside her in her own mind, gaping at the barriers as well. No words were spoken, but Paisley could sense what Phoebe and Cole were thinking. Phoebe was doubtful of getting through the barriers, while Cole was trying to figure out who had the power to do this to someone's mind.

Paisley walked up to the barrier, placing her hand on it, feeling the dark magick that radiated from it. She concentrated, fighting with the dark magick. Then, a tiny crack appeared in the surface of the barrier. A small phosphorescent glow radiated from it, and a small spell came to her.

"Lig do na balla an dorchadais ar bhealach a thabhairt chun féidir vanish na constaic os mo chomhair anois. "

Suddenly, cracks appeared all across the barriers, letting the light shine through. Then, the walls crumbled, turning to rubble. Paisley stumbled backward, awestruck. She glanced at Cole and Phoebe, who looked even more surprised than she felt.

"Where did you learn that spell?" Phoebe thought. Her thoughts echoed in Paisley's head, but she ignored them. She now saw before her, every memory she had, and she was terrified. Her life looked like something out of a book or a horror movie. She had been trained in the underworld for as long as she could remember. She saw that she was a notorious demon called, Aro, and that she was The Source's "right hand man". Dumbfounded, she knew that she was one of the most powerful and evil creatures on earth. While that frightened her, it also delighted her. She was feared by all and challenged by none. She possessed power that one could only dream of. Yet, there was an emptiness inside of her that made every breath painful. What was it? What was she missing inside? Then, it occurred to her. Love. She'd never known love. She had been treated like a monster, a weapon, a demon all her life. Not once had she gotten a hug, a "good job", a pat on the back even. Sorrow overwhelmed her. Now, she remembered always feeling this way. Having everything, power, respect, pride, but never love. Never a family.

By now, she realized not only that she was crying, but that Phoebe and Cole had seen her memories just as she had. Shamefully, she turned to them. They stared, awestruck. Not wanting them to see anymore, Paisley broke off their connection and found herself staring at the attic floor. Slowly, they released eachother's hands. Without a word, Phoebe stood and left, still in shock. Watching her leave, Paisley sensed Cole stand up beside her. In her peripheral vision, she saw him fold his arms and eye her suspiciously. Turning to him, she met his gaze.

"I guess you guys don't want anything to do with me now..." She stared at her feet, now. Gently, he laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Now, who ever said that?" He grinned, kindly.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Cole and Paisley turned toward the scream resonating from downstairs. Cole ran down the stairs quickly, Paisley on his heels.

In the living room, Phoebe lay unconcious on the floor. Meanwhile, Piper and Paige stood side-by-side, facing a tall man with salt and pepper hair. Cenric. Paisley recognized him instantly, her mentor and old friend. Seeing Paisley, he smiled sinisterly.

"You weren't supposed to make it out alive." He said, matter-of-factly. What? Wait a minute. What had happened? Then, she remembered vaguely that The Source had grown afraid and jealous of her power and had placed those barriers in her mind to make her forget who (and what) she was because he couldn't vanquish her.

Remembering an old curse, she outstretched her hand toward Cenric, and began to chant. "Oscail na doirse an éadóchais do Cenric. A thabhairt dó an phian a riachtanais esé. Chun cleanse a anam Cruelty. Lig sé a dhéanamh!"

Before he could react, he doubled over in pain as he clenched his stomach. Piper and Paige turned to look up at her in fear. Next, she formed a powerful energy ball in her right hand, then she launched it toward him forcefully. A second before it hit him, he looked up at it in terror, forgetting his pain for a moment. Then, the ball hit him in his face, vanquishing him.

Paisley grinned, reveling in her power. Cole shifted uncomfortably behind her.

"What the hell?" Piper screeched. "Where did you learn that?"

"Cenric." They looked at her, confused. "The demon that I just vanquished. He was my mentor."

"Heh. Guess the student has surpassed the teacher." Paisley chimed, laughing. Piper and Paige glared at her.

"Um, honey, maybe we should keep from using black magick for a while, huh?" Phoebe laid a hand on her shoulder. Leo orbed in beside Paige.

"What happened?" He looked from one sister to the other, then rested his gaze on Paisley.

"Paisley, vanquished a demon that attacked us. She's very powerful." Cole broke in.

"And very dangerous." Paige added, glancing at Paisley.

Anger welled up inside of Paisley. How dare they treat her this way! If she wanted, she could kill them without any effort at all! They should be terrified to even look at her the wrong way.

"I did what I had to! He would have killed all of you if I'd given him the chance!" She shouted, infuriated.

"We're greatful that you saved us. That isn't the problem. The problem is that you used black magick to do it!" Piper spat.

"GRRRRRR..." A growl resonated from deep in Paisley's throat as her anger heightened. She started forward toward Paige and Piper, but Cole grabbed her shoulder and held her back.

"Don't do anything you'll regret." He whispered in her ear.

"Alright. Everyone calm down." Leo raised his hands in frustration. "Piper, Paige, go help Phoebe. Paisley, we need to talk." He eyed her.

Paisley frowned, unhappy with the situation, and made her way over to Leo. Cole started forward behind her, but Leo gave him a look that said, "No. This is private.". Understanding, Cole nodded, walking over to Phoebe who was still unconcious.

When she was beside Leo, he draped his arm across her shoulders gently. "Come with me." He said in a low voice. Then, they walked into the kitchen. Paisley stopped, leaning against the counter, arms folded across her chest. Leo smiled.

"I spoke with the Elders about you." He gave a half-hearted smile.

"Oh...Wh-What did they say?"

"They um..." He suddenly became very interested with his shirt.

"Leo?"

"They feel that you are a danger to everyone. They want us to strip your powers." He spoke quickly.

Her anger flared again.

"Oh, really? Well, you can just orb back up there and tell every one of them to screw themselves!" Paisley spat at Leo. He winced at her words, then looked toward the sky, a look of fear on his face.

"Paisley, you really shouldn't say things like that about them. Besides, they're just trying to help you!"

"Help me? Why the hell would they wanna help me? I remember who I am now, the things I've done, everything. They don't want to help me. They're just afraid of me." She turned, storming out of the kitchen.

Rain pelted down on Paisley as she stalked off into the night. She had run out of the house and shimmered a few blocks away without any real idea of where she was going. Now that she remembered who (and what) she was, she knew that she was a danger to everyone around her. She couldn't bear to hurt the Halliwells. Not after they took her in and helped her. Grimacing, she realized what would happen to her next. She had killed Cenric, meaning that every demon in the Underworld would be after her for killing such a high level demon and not only that but The Source's right hand man. She was so screwed.

A hand gripped her shoulder tightly. Spinning around, she punched her attacker and prepared to launch an energy ball at him. Blinking, she stared at the boy in front of her. Earlier, she wouldn't have had a clue who the hell this guy was, but now it was clear in her mind. James Faulkner, or Deatach as he was known in the Underworld. Her friend.

"Geez, Aro!" He stood, brushing dirt off of his leather jacket. Then, he ran his fingers through his short, spiked, black hair. "You'd think I'd kicked ya in the gut." He grumbled, staring at her with his icy blue eyes. His thick, Cajun drawl was familiar as ever.

"Sorry, Deatach. I'm kinda on high alert right now, ya know?" She straightened his rumpled jacket.

"No problem, _cher_. Say, I heard you vanquished Cenric's sorry ass." He whispered, chuckling.

"Yeah. I just-" She stopped.

"What? You just what?" He eyed her, curiously.

"Deatach?"

"Yeah?"

"I know you used to do Cenric's dirty work...Did he ever...mention my parents to you?" She had to know while she had someone she could trust around that could possibly know the truth. She just had to know. Deatach looked like he'd just bit into a lemon. He scratched the back of his neck, nervously.

"At one point, he did...I guess." He refused to look Paisley in the eye.

"Deatach? Answer me...please?" His gaze returned to her.

"Since when do you say please?" He gave an amused grin. Paisley glared at him. "Okay, okay. He did tell me. He said that it was one o' the Charmed Ones. Somethin' 'bout Belthazor. Said he'd taken you from them as a baby. That's all he ever told me, _cher_."

Well, now Paisley was sure. Her hunch had been right. She turned to stare in the direction of the Halliwell Manor.

"Why?" Deatach's voice broke through her thoughts. She turned to face him.

"I just had to know. I met them..." Deatach looked surprised, his eyes widened. "Oh! Look, please, I'll do anything, but just don't tell anyone!" She grabbed him by his shirt collar. He held up his hands in surrender.

"No problem, _cher_. My lips are sealed. Go be with your family. You deserve it after the shit you've been through." He winked at her, then pulled her in for a kiss. She leaned into him, but he shimmered away mid-kiss. She laughed and turned toward the manor.

"I'm going home to see my family."A sentence she'd never thought she'd get the chance to say.

Paisley shimmered into the living room of Halliwell Manor. The entire family awaited her there. Piper and Cole were standing opposite the couch, watching Paige and Leo heal Phoebe. Meanwhile, Wyatt, David, and Chris sat on the loveseat, looking upset.

"Paisley?" Cole stared in disbelief at her return.

"The one and only." She choked back tears. _Stay strong, girl._

"You've changed your mind?" Leo looked up to acknowledge her presence.

"No. I'm not letting you guys bind my powers..." She walked over to where Phoebe still lay unconcious on the couch. "Can I try something?" Leo eyed her, suspiciously, but made room for her beside him.

_"__Vigoratus quis has been vulnero. Permissum vulnus abolesco. Vix quod livor evanui pro nos iam. Permissum is exsisto."_

_"_That better not have been black ma-" Paige started.

"No. That was an ancient healing spell used by Celtic shamans. I learned it from a witch friend of mine." Paisley interrupted, smiling. Leo grinned back at her.

"Wh-What?" Phoebe awoke, confused.

"Paisley just saved you." Cole said from behind Paisley. Phoebe faced her, then wrapped her in a hug.

"Thank you, Paisley. You're heaven sent." Paisley bit back a sarcastic comment.

"What made you come back?" Cole's question surprised her. Now was her chance to tell them.

"You two might want to sit down." Paisley said, ushering Cole to sit beside Phoebe. After he was seated, Paisley inhaled deeply, thinking of the right words to say. "I know what happened to your daughter." Their eyes widened in disbelief.

"Really? Where is she? Let's go get he-" Phoebe began. Cole grinned, he knew.

"She was kidnapped by a demon named Cenric. She was raised to destroy everything, to hate everyone, to kill mercillesly. And then, she lost her memory and she found a kind, young Whitelighter to help her. He brought her to you guys..." Before she could finish, tears filled Phoebe's eyes. She grabbed Paisley up in an embrace. Cole joined in, tears falling from his eyes as well.

"Thank God, Paisley. I knew...I just knew." Phoebe sobbed with joy.

"Paisley..." was all that Cole whispered as he hugged her tighter.


End file.
